Door hinge and closer.



No. 838,622. PATENTED DEC. 18, 1906. W. K. HENRY.

DOOR HINGE AND CLOSER.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 4,1906.

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.No. 838 622. PATENTED DEC. 18,1906. W. K HENRY DOOR. HINGE AND CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED JANA, 1906.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT FFTC.

WVILLIAM K. HENRY, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO P. & F. CORBIN, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1906,

Application filed January A, 1906. Serial No. 294,532.

To aZl whom, it 'I'II/Cby concern/.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM K. HENRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door Hinges and Closers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a combined hinge and closer for doors, particularly of that type which is adapted to be inserted in the doorsill or floor beneath the door. In my former application, Serial No. 276,699, filed September 1, 1905, I have shown and claimed a combined hinge, closer, and check embodying certain features of construction herein illustrated.

The object of this invention is to provide a more perfect bearing and support for the spindle which carries the door. The particular type herein illustrated is more espe cially adapted to double swing-doors, wherein the necessity for a liquid checking device is less than on doors which open in one direction only.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a hinge and closer embodying the improvements of my invention, part of the cover being broken away, so as to show the interior construction. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the complete construc tion. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the casing, showing the spindle in elevation. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the spindle.

In the preferred formshown in the drawings, 1 indicates the body of the casing or box for containing the movable parts of the mechanism.

2 is the cover, which is preferably provided and secured to the body in any suitable manner. The casing is let into the floor or sill.

3 is a spindle passing through the cover and arranged to take a bearing in the bottom of the casing, as hereinafter described, although in its preferred form it is also partially sup ported against lateral displacement by the bearing in the cover.

4 indicates a plate adapted to be secured to the bottom edge of a door and forming a socket for the spindle, as is customary. The upper end of the door (not shown) may be pivoted in any well-known manner.

A pivotal support 5 for the spindle 3 is preferably formed integral with the floor of the casing and projects upwardly therefrom and has an annular vertical wall about which the annular flange 6 of the spindle movably fits. The spindle is thereby vertically and pivotally supported at its lower end, said support being of such diameter as to provide a broad bearing to prevent lateral deflection of the spindle and also to provide means in its upper face for seating ball-bearings.

7 indicates one of a series of balls preferably mounted in a groove in the top of the support 5, on which balls the spindle rests. These balls take up the vertical thrust of the door and provide a substantially frictionless support for the weight of the door. The" method of supporting this spindle is of great importance in constructions of this character, since the weight of a door is considerable, and the device is subjected to severe lateral strains, due to the repeated opening and closing of the door and the continuous pressure of a spring.

8 and 9 are rollers pivotally carried b y laterally-projecting webs 3 and 3 of the spindle. The right-hand surface of these rollers, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, is preferably back of or to the left of the axis of the spindle 3.

10 is a block mounted in the casing and adapted to slide longitudinally therein.

11 and 12 are two curved bearing-shoulders carried by the block 10, which extend between the webs 3 and 3 against which the rollers 8 and 9 operate.

13 is a spring, preferably of greater width than height, which is located in the casing between the sliding block 10 and the outer end of the casing, which end serves as a fixed or stationary abutment for the spring, while the block subserves the purpose of a movable abutment. Normally the pressure of the spring holds the block 10 with the curved shoulders 11 and 12, respectively, in engagement with the rollers 8 and 9, so that the spindle and the door mounted thereon are in their normalfposition with the door closed.

The door may be swungin either direction. The swinging of the door forces the block 10 outward, or to the right, as viewed in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, against the pressure of the spring. hen the door is released, the spring forces the block 10 back, or to the left, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, and thus rotates the spindle on its aXis'and returns it to its normal position. When the door is released, the momentum usually carries it somewhat beyond its normal position, so that it may vibrate back and forth several times. The parts are so supported, however, that the wear is reduced to a minimum, while with sufficient loose play to permit of free movement of the door the door will not be thrown out of its proper position by any ordinary and proper use.

By providing a lower bearing of large diameter or, as shown, of greater diameter than the upper bearing several substantial advantages are at tainedfor example, the major portion of the lateral strain will be taken by said bearing, and, it being of large diameter, will better withstand wear and cutting or abrading strains than will the ordinary bearing commonly formed. Again, by providing a support of large diameter an effective ball-bearing may be combined there \with to support the weight of the door and.

permit it to turn easily. In this particular construction by elevating the ball-raceway and ball-bearings above the bottom or floor of the casing l these parts are protected from dirt or water that may work into said casing whenthe floor in which the apparatus is located is swept or washed. In this respect also the overhanging flange 6 of the spindle affords a protective housing for said ball-bearing.

These and other advantages will be apparent to the mechanic skilled in this art.

That I claim is 1. In a door-closer in combination, a casing having an upwardly-projecting vertical walled pivotal support at one end, a spindle having a depending flange forming a vertical walled recess at the lower end, said support projecting into and fitting said recess, a cover for said casing having a spindle-bearing passage concentric with said bearing-support, a block mounted in the casing for longitudinal movement therein, oppositelyarranged bearing-points on the spindle arranged to be engaged by said block and a longitudinally-acting spring pressing against said block the thrust of the spring being transmitted through the medium of the block and spindle to the vertical wall of said pivotal support and the wall of the spindle-bearing passage.

2-. In a door-closer in combination, a casing having an upwardly-projecting vertical walled pivotal support at one end, a spindle having a depending flange forming a vertical walled recess at the lower end, said support projecting into and fitting said recess, a cover for said casing having a spindle-bearing passage concentric with. said bearing-support, a block mounted in the casing for longitudinal movement therein, oppositely arranged bearing-points on the spindle arranged to be engaged by said block and a longitudinallyacting spring pressing against said block the thrust of the spring being transmitted through the medium of the block and spindle to the vertical wall of said pivotal support and the wall of the spindle-bearing passage, and antifriction-balls on top of said support and between it and the overstanding spindle.

WILLIAM K. HENRY.

lVitnesses CiiAs. B. PARSONS, L. M. BRAMAN. 

